Don't Tell Me I Ran Out of Time
by poseysharman
Summary: Matt thinks back to his time with Caroline, and realizes how important she was to him. Is he too late in getting her back?


**_I started writing this sometime yesterday, and today Tumblr was- and still is-being a jerk and wouldn't let me on, so I finished it. I actually like this, but I don't. I don't know, I'm on the fence about it. All I do know is how much I love Matt, and even though I'm totally obsessed with Tyler and Caroline right now, I HATED seeing poor Matt look so hurt on this week's Vampire Diaries. I'll forever love Matt, and never want to see him hurt! Haha, but anyways, here this is._**

**_DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Vampire Diaries. If I did, Delena would already have happened, and Matt would have found his soul mate by now. _**

**_ENJOY! R&R!_**

**_P.S- The title is from the song "Wait For You" by Elliot Yamin. It reminded me of Matt/Caroline :)._**

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**Don't Tell Me I Ran Out of Time**

Twenty minutes until his shift was over. Twenty minutes until he could go back home to his empty house, and be alone. Twenty minutes until Matt Donavan was able to escape everyone.

He was to finish busting and washing the last few tables left, and then to sweep up, and he was free. Matt walked over to a table two adults had just left, but stopped from cleaning it once he reached it.

This was the table he sat at when he told Caroline those words. _It's over, Caroline_. Those words rung in his head almost everyday.

Everyday he tried to think of reasons why leaving her was a smart move. She was jealous, and manic, and could be a bit over-bearing at times. Sometimes she didn't understand when someone needed space. And there was that chance that she wouldn't be able to fully replace Elena in Matt's heart. But none of that mattered.

Matt was falling in love with Caroline Forbes, and nothing would change that. Her imperfections are what made her perfect to Matt.

"Matt!" Matt looked up to the sound of someone yelling his name. It was his boss. "Stop daydreaming and get back to washing those tables!"

"Yes sir," replied Matt, placing all of the dirty dishes into his bin. His mind, however, still settled on thoughts of Caroline. He thought back to all their memories they shared, before and while they dated.

He remembered back to when they were kids. Tyler, his best friend, always loved to pick on the girls, Elena, Caroline and Bonnie. But Tyler especially loved to pick on Caroline. He always made fun of her stupid pigtails, and her stupid dresses, and her stupid ideas of becoming a princess.

One day, Matt remembered seeing how fumed Caroline looked. Even at age ten, you could tell when Caroline Forbes was mad. He, being the peacemaker he was, walked over to her.

"_Hey Caroline," he said casually._

"_What do __**you**__ want?" she sneered back it him. Yep, definitely mad. "Why aren't you off playing with your stupid friend?"_

"_Because he can be pretty stupid. I just wanted to tell you, that I don't think your pigtails, or dresses are stupid. And hey, maybe you are secretly a princess in training."_

_Caroline smiled. "You really think so?"  
Matt shrugged. "Sure, why not. Don't let Tyler get to you, he's just a huge jerk."_

"_Well thank you Matt." Caroline now had a full smile on. Matt smiled a tiny bit back, looking down at his toes. He looked up when he heard Elena's voice carrying through the playground, yelling for Caroline to come jump rope with her and Bonnie._

"_Well, bye Matt!" She waved by to him, and went to run off. She stopped herself, however, and looked at Matt. She looked around quickly, and kissed him lightly on the cheek. Matt, surprised by this, turned bright red and his hand flew to his cheek. Caroline placed her finger to her mouth, as if to say "shh", and said to him, "Our little secret."_

A smile crept on to Matt's mouth as he remembered that memory. That small, innocent kiss on his cheek did end up staying a little secret between them, never to be spoken of again. Then next day, Tyler went back to teasing poor Caroline, and Caroline went back to chasing him around, yelling how she'll beat him up(Even though she's said many times how a _princess never_ fights). And soon they grew up, and Matt grew feelings towards Elena, as Caroline grew feelings to an unimportant guy.

But Matt never did forget that tiny, innocent, kiss. It marked the beginning of their friendship.

As he finished up sweeping almost twenty minutes later, he thought again of another memory of Caroline. He thought of the first time that he had her in his room. It was one of the first times she was over as his girlfriend, and she said that she "wanted to see where he spent his nights".

He led her to his room, and warned her of the scattered clothing on the floor. The first thing Caroline noticed about his room was the numerous awards, and posters.

"_Who are these people on your walls, Matt?"_

_Matt laughed. "Football players, Care."_

"_Typical jock room."_

_Matt pretended to be offended. "Hey! My room's very unique!"_

_Caroline placed her hands on her hips. "Oh yeah? How?"_

"_Well…see…I sleep in here! Therefore, it's different."_

_Caroline laughed and shook her head. Her attention was then brought to the floor, which was covered with clothing everywhere. "Oh Matt, have you ever heard of a hamper?"_

"_Yes…it's around this house…somewhere."_

_Caroline shook her head again. "That's it, we're cleaning."_

_Matt looked at her, shocked. "We're doing what now?"_

"_Cleaning! Do you see this room! It's a mess!"_

_It was Matt's turn to shake his head. He went to say something, but stopped. A grin slowly came across his boyish face. "I have a better idea."_

"_And what would that be Mr. Donavan?"_

"_This." And with that, Matt grabbed Caroline by the waist, and pulled her down onto his bed with him._

"_Matt!" she screeched, trying not to giggle. "Let go!"_

"_No thanks," he said, still grinning. He rolled on top of her, pinning down to her bed. Her laughing had ceased and it was now silent between them._

"_You're beautiful," he whispered to her._

_Caroline bit the inner of her lip, trying to repress a very large smile. She tilted her head up until her lips met his._

"You're free to go Matt!" Matt was pulled out of his memories at the sound of his boss's voice again. He hung up his apron, and quickly grabbed his keys, ready to get out of there.

When he reached his car, however, he realized that he didn't want to go home. It was still fairly early so he decided to go for a drive.

Almost twenty minutes later, Matt found himself on the road leading to Caroline's house. Without realizing it, he took a left down that road until he was thirty feet from her house.

"What am I doing?" he whispered out loud to himself. He went to put his truck into reverse and head to his house, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead, he shut his car off and sat in his truck for a moment.

Was he really about to go to her house? He thought of what would happen if he did. Would she want him there? Would she tell him to go home? Has she moved on?

Matt decided he couldn't waste anymore time wondering what if, and hoped out of his truck. He took a deep breath, taking his time in reaching Caroline's front door.

"Now or never," he said out loud again to himself, and knocked on her door. It seemed like ages before she finally answered, but here she was, now standing in front of Matt.

"Hey…what are you doing here?" she asked, smiling slightly.

"I…I just got out of work, and I was driving around, and I kinda just ended up here." He sheepishly smiled his boyish smile at her, and she smiled back. "I guess…I've missed you."

Caroline's smile seemed to have gotten bigger. "I've missed you too, Matt."

Matt looked up to meet her gaze, something he was avoiding earlier, and couldn't help but to be memorized by her beautiful dark green eyes. Matt was getting ready to say fuck it, and lean in and kiss her right then and there. He was getting ready to forget all of their past problems and be with her again, until a figure showed up behind Caroline.

Tyler.

Tyler walks into full view and stands next to Caroline. Matt stood on the other side of the doorframe, his eyes starring right into Tyler's.

"Hey…" said Tyler, trailing off at a loss for words. "What…what are you doing here?"

"I was coming to see Caroline, but I see this may be a bad time…"

Caroline went to open her mouth to say something, but closes it right after, changing her mind. Matt's eyes darted between Tyler and Caroline, his heart now metaphorically breaking.

He lost Caroline to Tyler.

His best friend.

"Maybe, I shouldn't have come here," mumbled Matt. "I'll, uh, see you around I guess, Caroline."

"Bye, Matt," whispered Caroline. Matt dared to make eye contact with Caroline once more time, and swears he sees sadness in them. Maybe she hasn't moved on after all. Maybe she's holding on to him like he is with her.

Matt walked away from Caroline's house, stopping himself from wondering too much on if she was still his. He walked to his truck and got in, but didn't start it. Instead he sat in it for a moment. His eyes moved back to Caroline's house to see through her front window, her and Tyler now sitting down on her couch. Tyler went to re-open up a laptop, but Caroline closed it and took it from him, patting his shoulder in the process.

Matt couldn't watch it anymore. He started his truck and drove away as fast as he could. He thought of going home, but the idea of him sitting in a quiet house, alone with his thoughts scared him. Plus, he wasn't sure if he could refrain from looking for an alcoholic beverage to keep him from thinking of Caroline.

He decided to keep on driving, to drive as long as he could. His thoughts were a jumbled mess, his head unclear. Did Caroline really move on? Or is there a chance Tyler and her could be _just_ friends?

He scoffed. He knew Tyler didn't have just friends. This realization sent anger through Matt.

Maybe he has lost her.

Matt then thinks back to more memories of him and Caroline, back when they were happier. He told her he'd move on from Elena for her, that he wanted to make this work. All those times seemed like they belong to a distant life. A life he no longer had.

Suddenly, Matt thinks back to one final memory. He thinks back to a Saturday afternoon. He and Caroline decided to go for a walk, ending up in the middle of the woods, sitting on a fallen tree trunk.

_The atmosphere was quiet and peaceful, as they were both lost in their thoughts. Suddenly, Caroline turned to him. "Do you ever think of Vicky?"_

_Caroline's question caught Matt of guard and he was silent for a moment._

"_Sorry," rushed Caroline, "I was just thinking out loud. You don't have to answer that!"_

_Matt held half a smile at his girlfriend's manic ways. "No, no it's fine. Uh…yeah I like to think of Vicky often. The good memories though, not the bad."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Well, I don't like to think of her death, or how she was before she died. I like to think of all the good memories we had growing up as brother and sister. I like to think back when everything was more simple in my family."_

"_You still miss her. A lot." It wasn't a question._

"_Yeah, I do, Care. A lot. But if I keep our good memories in my head more than I do the bad, then it's easier."_

_Caroline smiled. "That's really good, Matt."_

"_What brought upon this question, anyways?"_

"_I don't know. I guess I was thinking of how far we came, and I just remembered how sad it was to see you hurt by the loss of her, and I just wanted to make sure you were still holding up well."_

"_Of course I am, especially when I have such a caring girlfriend to make sure that I am." _

"_That's me, your rock."_

"_And I wouldn't have it any other way." Caroline looked up at Mat, as he smiled down at her. He leaned his head down and kissed her gently on the lips. They broke apart a few seconds later, and Caroline placed her head on his shoulder. No matter how many obstacles were thrown at them, they were staying strong, and that's all that mattered._

That memory helped Matt decided on what to do. He decided he didn't care if Caroline was with Tyler or not, he's been the good guy for too damn long, and he wasn't about to lose someone important to him again.

He decided he'd fight for Caroline no matter what. If she chooses to be with Tyler, then great, Matt will accept lost. But at least he could say he fought for her.

He'll make sure Caroline knows that he's still there, and he wasn't taking the idea that he keeps telling himself about how he ran out of time.

**END.**_**So, love it or hate it? Let me know! And this WILL be a one-shot no matter what.**_


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